Two of my friends “liked” my status update. Maybe they liked the idea that I was asking the question because it is worth thinking about but not asked enough. Friend 1 thinks we’re not all racist but that it’s a choice. Maybe the implication is that if everyone were racist, it wouldn’t be a choice—that maybe it is inherent or genetic. Friend two thinks a lot are, but also takes the stance that not everyone is.
The last two friends who commented said they are very racist, they made that choice after birth. They suggest everyone is racist and they just try to ignore it and pretend it is not there. The idea is explicitly presented of it occurring after birth.
None of them want to believe racism could have originated in us prior to birth and all believe it is a choice. If it were inherent, it would be more justifiable and less controllable. It wouldn’t be a choice if we were born with it. Even though everyone agrees racism is a choice, there was not a consensus on whether or not everyone is racist. One thing I learned about my friends is they all implicitly believe people try not to be racist.
7 comments:
I remember in elementary school I had a group of friends that seemed to represent every culture I knew about. Then when we got into middle school, a very distinct change happened where my friends started to hang out with their corresponding racial groups. Maybe as they grew up and developed they found they belonged more with people of their own color. yet in elementary that didn't seem to matter at all.
Though I don't necessarily categorize that choice as racism, whatever it was that caused that split definitely wasn't something we were born with but that we developed.
The comments on my post also seemed to point to the fact that people make an effort to try not to be racist. Most people said that we all have that problem, but we don't talk about it openly (especially when we're around other people of a different race).
I agree that that it is a choice- we choose the opinions and perceptions that we have about someone, but I also feel that it can be a little bit innate based upon the perceptions of those around us
Someone got me thinking on the gospel perspective on this question. Does the natural man inside us all become biased and racist unless we consciously choose to not to? We all have these natural man tendencies in us, but is racism one of them? I personally tend to lean towards no, but I'm really not sure.
I think that racism is a choice as you said. One of things that interested me about your post was about your friend that replied that he just tries to ignore it. I think that many people do that. In one of my other classes we were talking about the cycle of oppression among gender and race. One of the other theories said that ignoring an issue is not overcoming because we still acknowledge the differences but instead of accept it we just try to ignore it.
I see how they think they become racial after birth rather than previously because I think we are racist due to our environment. We see our neighbors and family members being prejudice, so we interpret that, thinking being prejudice is normal. As we look up to our family members and/or our elders, we imitate them. I see this as racial after birth.
I agree that racism is a choice. There are many tendencies that we pick up along the way, but it is our choice as to whether or not to hold on to those beliefs. I think part of the draw toward hanging out with those of the same racial or ethnic group is the sense of sameness and identity. Unfortunately, if the only people that we hang out with are just like us, we miss out on valuable learning experiences.
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